Labour Court recommends £70 weekly allowance for Dublin Port crane drivers

In 1999, the Labour Court recommended a £70 weekly allowance for Dublin Port Company crane drivers while the company and Services Industrial Professional Technical Union worked on a restructuring plan. Its recommendation was signed on 20 May. The dispute involved 18 crane drivers and concerned pay and compulsory overtime after a five-year agreement expired in February 1999. The union sought a £3-an-hour increase in basic pay, arguing that overtime earnings were not reflected in pensionable pay. The company said a basic pay increase should be linked to a productivity agreement. The Court said the port relied heavily on overtime and recommended a realistic restructuring plan by 1 September. In the meantime, it recommended the crane operators resume overtime under the agreement dated 12 July 1994 and receive the £70 weekly allowance. Any increases arising from a structural agreement were to be retrospective to 14 April 1999.